[Bowie]

just upgraded from my £150 racer to a Fuji Roubaix pro - go faster white pimp daddy colouring. probably psychological but feels faster - maybe you just have to pedal faster to justify the nicer bike. the brakes actually work on this - but going down hill and breaking hard means the back wheel skids all over the place - v exciting first time it happens. think there's a technique thing going on.

now need new shorts, top, shoes, and then upgrades to wheels....

eek

[SteveM]

I dropped into La Bicelletta last night and Alex looked like he's got some of the spark back in his eyes. He did however stand my bike on it's back wheel as he brought it into the shop and the frame drained sheffield's recent flood waters all over the shop floor! Thats my best excuse for being slow on hills and I didn't even realise I had it.

 

Any good tips on the best way of drying out the frame and stopping damage that's probably now underway inside and out of sight?

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

I dropped into La Bicelletta last night and Alex looked like he's got some of the spark back in his eyes. He did however stand my bike on it's back wheel as he brought it into the shop and the frame drained sheffield's recent flood waters all over the shop floor! Thats my best excuse for being slow on hills and I didn't even realise I had it.

 

Any good tips on the best way of drying out the frame and stopping damage that's probably now underway inside and out of sight?

Older frames used to have little drain holes underneath most tubes. Presuming its a steel frame you have, after you drain it and dry it as well as you can (hair dryer? Radiator? leave it in the sun?), a good spray of WD40/GT85 will do a reasonable job of coating the inside of the frame, access wherever you can, down the seat tube, through drain holes if you can see any, into the bottle cage mounts etc. Use the little straw that comes with the can.

[SteveM]

Presuming its a steel frame you have

Ah, you'd have thought that I'd have checked that. It's aluminium.

 

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Presuming its a steel frame you have

Ah, you'd have thought that I'd have checked that. It's aluminium.

 

As long as you weren't biking in the sea you should be fine. 

[fatkid2000]

Something to consider for those that spend too much time riding bikes:
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/health-bad-to-the-bone-21929

[Duma]

Indeed. you need some impact people! (though given we're on a bouldering forum I doubt that'll be a major issue for most)

[jfw]

been for my 4th ride on my new (read gib's old) bike - managed to do my 1st froggat hill in 19:56 into a head wind - pretty pleased.

[tlr]

Good effort, there was a pretty grim headwind last night up Froggatt Hill. I certainly wasn't breaking any records up there last night, I was a couple of gears lower than normal up it.

[Mark Lloyd]

I have just come back from a family holiday in Costa Blanca, if anyones out there climbing and fancies a bit of rest day exercise I can recommend hiring a bike from Terry at CycloCostaBlanca in Denia, 15 euros a day for a carbon bike. That continential tarmac is soo smooth, pothole less as well, I can recommend the Col de Rates, Val De Ebo (From Pego) or Sierra Bernia climbs and decents, the weathers not to bad either.

[Percy B]

This should go in Room 101 really, but I thought I would rant here instead as I think its a problem most roadies are all too familiar with...

Will Sheffield city council please give the man they employ to mark all the potholes in the road with yellow paint and number them all a big truck full of tarmac instead of a can of spray paint?!?! Then instead of highlighting the holes, he might actually be able to fill the bloody things in. What a waste of time and money. I just want to ride to work - not experience some sort of Paris-Roubaix simulator.

Also into roadie room 101 can go the whore of a headwind I had on this mornings ride, and the driver of the First double decker who thought that 3 inches between his bus and my elbow was a sensible gap - 

Apart from that, I had a great ride this morning....! I feel better now.

[slackline]

Also into roadie room 101 can go the whore of a headwind I had on this mornings ride, and the driver of the First double decker who thought that 3 inches between his bus and my elbow was a sensible gap - 

Are there any Sheffield cycling forums that might be able to get some sort of mass protest/petition at the ineptitude of First bus drivers as they regularly pass me in such a manner on my commute to work.  Stagecoach are noticeably a lot better at leaving a sensible distance.

I've complained to First before but they just fob you off with the same old bullshit of "We have high standards of driving, we'll look into this" and you get a bog standard letter stating the same thing that does nothing to reassure you that the driver has even been identified, let alone disciplined or sent back to driving school.

[lagerstarfish]

I've been thinking about putting one of these outside the First Mainline bus depot near us. Anyone got some chain they could donate? I've got a maillon I can gob up with araldite to fix it, a fucked bike and loads of white paint.

[slackline]

I've been thinking about putting one of these outside the First Mainline bus depot near us. Anyone got some chain they could donate? I've got a maillon I can gob up with araldite to fix it, a fucked bike and loads of white paint.

That is a genius idea!!!  I too have a knackered bike, just have to check out the relative price of fuck-off-strong chains at the local DIY store.

[lagerstarfish]

I got the idea off an episode of CSI 

Might last longer if I fix it high up on a lamp post?

[clm]

I've been thinking about putting one of these outside the First Mainline bus depot near us. Anyone got some chain they could donate? I've got a maillon I can gob up with araldite to fix it, a fucked bike and loads of white paint.

Read this this morning (the thread which hijacks the title one) 
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread23689.html
very sad and made me feel physically sick.
Be careful out there.

[Percy B]

Just submitted my complaint email to First buses - had to email because the complaints hotline doesn't seem to work.......

[slackline]

Just submitted my complaint email to First buses - had to email because the complaints hotline doesn't seem to work.......

I predict you'll get a letter from the manager at Olive Grove depot saying that they are very sorry and that their drivers are trained to very high standards and it shouldn't have happened.  The driver has been identified and had his wrist slapped and he has promised never to be so careless again, oh and for your inconvenience you may well get a months free bus pass. 

Got really fucked off once when a bus was trying to pass too close so I smacked the doors.  The cunt of a driver opened the doors and with a bus full of passangers turned the air blue saying "How fucking dare I hit 'his' bus, if he'd been in his car he'd have fuckin' had me".  I took this as a personal attack and made it clear to Mainline that, as would happen in the schoolyard, a personal apology would be made.  It seems however that Mainline aren't aware of basic civility and no apology (written or otherwise) was forthcoming from the driver 

[clm]

Just submitted my complaint email to First buses - had to email because the complaints hotline doesn't seem to work.......

Take immediate photo of driver - send with letter to bus company and cc to local cops alleging dangerous driving?

[slackline]

Just submitted my complaint email to First buses - had to email because the complaints hotline doesn't seem to work.......

Take immediate photo of driver - send with letter to bus company and cc to local cops alleging dangerous driving?

Cops don't give a shit, I've tried before, it boils down to it being your word against the drivers so whilst they'll go through the motions of filling out a complaint form dick all will happen.  I've suggested there might be footage from on-board cameras, First conveniently took two weeks to reply to a letter, and only keep video footage for a week (although I looked it up and I suspect this is illegal under the data protection/cctv laws if I remember correctly as there's supposed to be a certain period during which footage is meant to be kept just in case anyone requests a copy under the data protection act and I'm sure it is greater than seven days).  Police even suggested that I use a helmet camera or similar to record commutes, to which I told them I'd be more than happy to do so, if they're going to pay for it.

I've been tempted to report it to both First and the police each and every time it happens just to start being a thorn in their side in the hope that something might change in the law/First's trainer driving but just don't have the time (i.e. it happens way too regularly).

[fatkid2000]

First Mainline drivers are cunts is all I can say. I put a complaint in and got some automated reply.

I just think most people think cyclists ride bikes because they can't afford a car - well that's a common thread of abuse I receive around the posh areas of Sheffield. There are three or fours cars all BMWs ( I know its a stereotype) that do try to kill me every time they see me on Fulwood road.

Put a human in a metal box and they turn into some kind of psychopath. 

Anyway I'm off games for 2 weeks so no riding for me - got to get the fucked knee sorted out.

I've got an old fucked frame I could donate to ghost bikes.
I can't believe how hard it is to ride around Sheffield considering it thinks its some kind of city of sport!!!

[clm]

Could always ride in these



they'd sort out a few paint jobs....

and leave you looking like Adam Ants rent boy.

[chappers]

hey, i have only skim read the above, but i dont think it is appropriate to put a ghost bike in place when it does not commemorate the death of a cyclist...

[cowboyhat]

I agree, at first I thought that was what you were talking about. There are enough in London anyway, real tragedy.

If bus drivers had a brain they wouldn't be bus drivers. I genuinely think most of them are retarded and/or learnt to drive in Lagos.

Over time (6 years now in London), my thoughts have changed about commuting. It is your responsibility to look after yourself. Anticipate, predict, always expect stupidity, and never let it get to you because no one else on the road cares at all.

[chappers]

in other news...i went up holmefirth road from staleybridge yesterday then over the holme moss road "from the hard side". both excellent climbs.
'kin hot it was though.